Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

"Master!"

Guk Rusong dropped to his knees, his long, graying hair hanging down on both sides. His voice was filled with dejection and resentment.

"I have failed."

He had cultivated bitterly for seventy years, reaching Nine Acupoints Perfection with a crippled, one-armed body. The hardship he endured was far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.

But alas,

in the end, he still couldn't take that final step.

Stuck at the Innate Realm!

"You've already done your best. Such is fate. What can be done?" Zhu Ju sighed, gently shaking his head.

"Get up."

"..." Guk Rusong's body trembled.

"Thank you, Master!"

"Your path of cultivation may be hopeless, but there is still hope in life. There's no need to be so dejected," Zhu Ju looked at him and spoke slowly.

"Although you failed to break through this time, you didn't damage your foundation. You are an Innate Qi Refiner at Nine Acupoints Perfection, and you've taken a Life-Extending Elixir. If you recuperate well, you have at least fifty or sixty good years left."

"Fifty or sixty years..."

"That's still the lifetime of a normal person!"

His voice seemed to carry a mysterious power, quietly soothing the resentment in Guk Rusong's heart.

'That's right!'

'I still have fifty or sixty years to live. My life is still long.'

'To advance to the Dao Foundation, my seventy years of cultivation have been like that of an ascetic monk. It's time to make a change.'

'Get married, have children, enjoy my later years...'

'It's not too late!'

For an ordinary person, having children at seventy is almost impossible, but for an Innate Qi Refiner, it's no problem at all.

"Master is right." Guk Rusong came back to his senses and nodded.

"It is a great blessing that my life essence remains intact. Besides, marrying, having children, and continuing my bloodline is its own form of longevity."

"It's good that you understand." Zhu Ju smiled faintly.

"Rest well for a while, tidy up your hair, and my disciple will still be able to attract many female cultivators."

"Also..."

"All these years, you've focused solely on cultivation and ignored worldly affairs. From now on, you might as well contribute to the Sect."

"Yes." Guk Rusong clasped his hands.

"I will follow Master's arrangements."

"Although the Bright Void Sect is a Cultivation Sect, it also has many mundane affairs. In a few days, go and take up a position as a Foreign Affairs Steward. Try acting as a representative for the Sect, interacting with the major sects in the vicinity." Zhu Ju took out a Token and a storage pouch.

"Interacting more with people will also help you forget distracting thoughts. Take these. Try a new life."

"...Yes." Guk Rusong acknowledged, accepting them respectfully. His lowered face was full of dejection.

'He spoke of letting go and starting a new life, but how could he let go so easily?'

After all, this was a seventy-year obsession!

'But things have already come to this. What else can be done?'

Guk Rusong sighed deeply in his heart, suppressed the distracting thoughts that arose, and after asking for permission, bowed and took his leave.

For the first seventy years, he had been devoted to cultivation.

For the next fifty or sixty, it was time to live a different way.

...

「Two years later.」

Xu Hanzhi knelt in the Sect's main hall.

"Sect Leader!"

"Master Zhu."

His face was deathly pale and his aura was weak. He spoke feebly:

"I have failed."

"Hmph!" Zhu Ju snorted coldly.

"If you had cultivated properly, with your talent and comprehension, plus the Sect's support, you would have had a high chance of advancing to the Dao Foundation."

"But look at you..."

"What are your plans for the future?"

"I..." Xu Hanzhi gritted his teeth and said in a muffled voice,

"My path of cultivation is now hopeless. From now on, I am willing to serve the Sect with all my heart, handling various duties."

"So be it!" Pei Jingque sighed lightly.

"Things have already come to this; there's no point in saying more."

"Hanzhi, you have quite a talent for brewing wine. From now on, continue to be in charge of Spirit Wine matters. What do you think, Junior Brother?"

"..." Zhu Ju was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Fine!"

"Thank you, Sect Leader! Thank you, Master Zhu!" Xu Hanzhi was overjoyed and kowtowed hastily.

"I will definitely not fail the Sect's trust. I will brew Spirit Wine well and make our Bright Void Sect's Spirit Wine famous throughout the world."

"That won't be necessary." Pei Jingque shook her head.

"A tall tree attracts the wind. Our current reputation is fine. You just need to stabilize the trade routes and brew plenty of high-quality Spirit Wine."

"Yes." Xu Hanzhi nodded.

"I understand."

"I will take my leave!"

Only after watching Xu Hanzhi's retreating figure disappear did Shui Qianning sigh helplessly.

"Why doesn't Junior Brother Xu understand? Martial Uncle Zhu's scolding was meant to give him hope, to have him try again."

"At Junior Brother Xu's age, and since his attempt to break through to the Dao Foundation Realm didn't damage his foundation, he could absolutely try again."

"Forget it." Zhu Ju's voice was ice-cold.

"His ambition does not lie here. There's no need to say more!"

Cultivation is, in the end, a personal matter. No matter how much outsiders try to persuade someone, it's ultimately of little use.

Xu Hanzhi has no heart for cultivation. Could someone else do it for him?

"Yes." Pei Jingque nodded.

"Hanzhi has been lazy since he was a child. He only knows to move forward after a good beating. If you don't beat him for a while, he'll start slacking off again. With a personality like that, it's difficult to achieve the Great Dao."

"Since he likes wine, let him keep company with wine!"

Zhu Ju slowly nodded.

His disciple, Guk Rusong, was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, but alas, his talent was insufficient. He was stuck at the Innate Realm after seventy years of bitter cultivation.

Meanwhile, Xu Hanzhi had astonishing talent, no less than an Innate Dao Body, but was lazy by nature and failed to achieve the Dao Foundation.

He didn't even have the thought of trying again.

'The Great Dao...'

'How unfair!'

"Sigh!" Shui Qianning sighed softly.

"Since Junior Brother Jir achieved the Dao Foundation, several junior brothers have tried to break through these past years. The most promising were Junior Brother Xu and Martial Uncle Zhu's disciple, Junior Brother Guk. Unfortunately, none succeeded."

"Among those of my generation..."

"there are not many left who still have hope."

Among the second-generation disciples, Zhu Ju's 'little disciple,' Xi Youyue, was the youngest, yet she was already in her early forties.

The others were all in their sixties, seventies, eighties, or nineties, and already had no hope of achieving the Dao Foundation.

The third-generation disciples were still too young.

Within ten years,

it was highly unlikely that a new Dao Foundation Cultivator would emerge in the Bright Void Sect.

Pei Jingque also sighed.

*

*

*

In the Cave Mansion's Quiet Chamber.

"Hooo..."

Zhu Ju let out a long, turbid breath and slowly ended his cultivation session.

Sensing the abundant True Essence flowing unstoppably within his body, a smile couldn't help but appear on his face.

Ever since advancing to the Mid-Stage Dao Foundation, he had never stopped his cultivation.

Even when he needed to set up arrays or grind away at Sword Intent, he had never slacked off.

Now, twenty years had passed.

With the boost from his Outer Body Incarnation, 'Wukong,' and having consumed numerous Spiritual Elixirs and Medicines, he estimated his current cultivation progress was comparable to sixty years of bitter cultivation. Advancing to the Late-Stage Dao Foundation was just around the corner.

'Another twenty years...'

'I should be able to reach the Late-Stage Dao Foundation.'

Forty years, to advance from the Mid-Stage Dao Foundation to the Late-Stage Dao Foundation. Such progress was worthy of a cultivation prodigy.

Even an Innate Dao Body would find it hard to compare.

But it was also very reasonable.

After all, his Outer Body Incarnation 'Wukong' alone could provide him with a forty-year boost to his cultivation.

Add to that the help of elixirs...

Though it was forty years, in reality, he had accumulated over a hundred years' worth of cultivation. It would be unreasonable if he *didn't* reach the Late-Stage Dao Foundation.

'With this kind of progress, even a Demon Cultivator known for their rapid cultivation advancement probably couldn't do much better.'

Stretching his tendon and bone, Zhu Ju stepped out of his Cave Mansion.

"Master!"

Xi Youyue was already waiting in front of the entrance.

"Mm." Zhu Ju nodded.

"Is something the matter?"

"Master." Xi Youyue hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I heard that the Void Secret Realm is about to open, and that Master is looking for suitable candidates to go explore it."

"Yes." Zhu Ju nodded.

"Do you have a suitable candidate in mind?"

"..." Xi Youyue spoke slowly.

"I want to go."

"Nonsense!" Zhu Ju's expression darkened.

"What does this have to do with you?"

Xi Youyue's talent was average, but with a 'wealthy' master like Zhu Ju, her cultivation progress was not slow.

Forty years old.

Innate Seven Acupoints.

At her current pace, reaching the Innate Nine Acupoints by age fifty would not be a problem.

Attempting to break through to the Dao Foundation Realm at fifty, when her Qi Blood were at their peak, would give her a twenty percent better chance than doing it at sixty.

Besides, she was a Core True Inheritance disciple of the Bright Void Sect. There was no need for her to covet the benefits of a Secret Realm.

THUD!

Xi Youyue suddenly dropped to her knees.

"Master!"

"I want to go inside to find my brother."

"Xi Chen is already dead." Zhu Ju frowned.

"Even if he missed the window to return back then for some reason, more than twenty years have passed. How could he have survived in that dangerous Secret Realm for so long?"

"I believe my brother isn't dead. He's in the Secret Realm." Xi Youyue looked up, her face filled with longing.

"I beg you, Master, let me enter the Secret Realm. Even if my brother really did die inside, I won't be at peace until I see his remains with my own eyes."

"Remains?" Zhu Ju snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and rose into the air, showing no intention of paying her any mind.

"I'm afraid there are no remains left to find!"

...

Today, the six Dao Foundation Cultivators of the Bright Void Sect were gathered together.

Liuu Huang'er stood in the center of the main hall, using Spiritual Light to conjure images of several terrains. She began her introduction:

"Qingfeng and I have investigated the area near the Void for many years and have found a total of four locations suitable for the Sect's new headquarters."

"They are Cold Moon Valley..."

"This place is not far from the Hundred Flowers Sect's new headquarters. Profound Evil Qi has gathered underground here, making it suitable for Sect Disciples to cultivate the Earth Evil Heart Technique."

"And here, this is a nearby Earth Vein node, which would make it more convenient to set up arrays."

"..."

"Senior Sister." After finishing her introduction, Liuu Huang'er spoke up.

"Currently, many sects wish to relocate near the Void. We should decide on a location as soon as possible, otherwise the suitable spots will likely be taken by others."

"Mm." Pei Jingque nodded slowly and looked at the others present.

"What do you all think?"

"I think Cold Moon Valley is quite good," Shui Qianning said.

"Nearly half of the Sect's disciples cultivate the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill. A place like this would be more suitable for their cultivation."

"Junior Brother Zhu?"

"I'm in favor of the last location," Zhu Ju said.

"It's safe."

'Safe?'

Pei Jingque looked at the last location, lost in thought.

That place was extremely close to the Earth Abyss region. It was a long, narrow mountain surrounded by spatial rifts that could slice through anything.

"If we make this place the Sect's headquarters, going out would be inconvenient," Jir Mingxi said, shaking his head.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Not necessarily," Zhai Qingfeng said.

"This place is also an Earth Vein node with abundant Spiritual Qi. If we set up our headquarters here, we could be self-sufficient."

"Moreover..."

"Our array can conceal the nearby spatial rifts. If anyone were to launch a frontal assault, they would definitely suffer for it."

"Even a Golden Core Grandmaster would have to give a wide berth to a spatial rift."

He agreed with Zhu Ju.

As a former Loose Cultivator from the Ten Thousand Mountains, the thing Zhai Qingfeng valued most was safety. Everything else was secondary.

Pei Jingque nodded slowly.

Relocating the Sect was a major undertaking, and choosing the location required even more caution.

However, Liuu Huang'er proposed taking a portion of the disciples to the vicinity of the Earth Abyss first, to claim the spot before anything else.

After all,

the Void Secret Realm was also about to open. The process of moving would take a year or two, and further delays would be of unknown length.

When Zhu Ju returned to his Cave Mansion, Xi Youyue was still kneeling at the entrance. It seemed she was dead set on going...

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